


Afternoon

by rieloo



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Platonic Relationships, i haven't written any fics in a while so apologize in advance, slight angst? maybe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 10:04:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17139758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rieloo/pseuds/rieloo
Summary: Hajime left early for a school-part time job, leaving Eichi alone with Ritsu in the club.It's been a while since it's only them in the club, he thought, and went on a little nostalgic ride.





	Afternoon

**Author's Note:**

> hi it's actually been years since i properly write a fic, but enjoy regardless!  
> english is not my native so i might make mistakes ;;
> 
> anyway eiritsu is cute

It was another normal day in the tea club.  
  
Smell of brewed tea leaves hung in the air, followed by the chilly breeze which sends a shiver to the club president's body. The air is not that cold indoors, but it definitely is colder than these past few days— it’s winter, after all.   
  
While being lost in his own thoughts, he can feel something moving under the table, and strands of hair tickling his feet. Eichi peeked under the table and saw what he expected— because who else would curl up under the table to sleep in such a cold weather other than Ritsu. The president let out a small chuckle and poked the sleeping boy's head lightly with his foot.  
  
"Ritsu-kun, even though we decided to have tea indoors on winter, it’s still cold, so shouldn't you be sitting properly on the table? You might catch a cold if you sleep down there, especially without blanket, you know?" in response to that, Ritsu groaned softly, shoving Eichi's foot out of his sight. His eyes fluttered open, an expression of annoyance clearly reflected on his face. "Don't get your foot near my head," he slowly got up and yawned. "Ecchan is such a meanie." he continued as he slowly crept to the chair and sat on it, resting his head on the table.  
  
Eichi reached out a hand and caressed the vampire's cheek softly, a cold sensation immediately greeted his fingertips. He let out a small sigh while keeping his usual smile. "See, you're cold. How long have you been sleeping, I wonder?" he then slid a cup of tea to the other boy's face, offering him to take it. "Were you lonely without me? Go warm yourself up, here,"  
  
"Nnn, don't touch me so freely~" Ritsu whined, though he didn't shove Eichi's hand away. He lazily reached out to the cup and lifted his face. "If you're really worried about me sleeping under the table, bring me a bed to sleep on." He blew out the steam coming out from the cup. "Besides, Haa-kun did come, earlier before you, so I'm not lonely or anything. It's a shame that he must do the school part-time job, though, so he left early." he slid out his tongue to the tea— checking if the temperature is warm enough— before taking some small sips. Eichi followed soon after, a comforting silence wrapped around them.  
  
It's been a while since it's only the two of them in the club, he thought. The last time it was like this, Eichi's condition was far worse— he's glad that now, he can enjoy sitting in the club without worrying about whether he will pass out in the next minute or not.  
  
Feeling somewhat nostalgic, his mind was suddenly filled with images of their not-so first meeting, when he accidentally stepped on a sleeping Ritsu. They never actually interacted before then, other than that one time in Checkmate, and that was surely not a pretty one.  
  
He wondered, how come Ritsu accepted him that easily after all those things he said to him?  
  
Come to think of it, he never really asked Ritsu about his reason.  
  
"Ecchan,"  
  
Ah, that familiar nickname. Eichi remembered how surprised he was when a stranger decided to give him such a nickname on their first proper meeting— having a nickname sure feels strange, even Keito didn’t bother to think of a cute nickname for him in their childhood. He chuckled lightly at the thought.  
  
"Ecchaaaan,"  
Hearing that nickname again—this time with a more annoyed tone, he turned towards his clubmate. He could see Ritsu lazily tilting his cup— which was empty. "Go pour me another cup~ I'm still thirsty,"  
  
Eichi kept silent for a while before sighing softly, "I see you're still as spoiled as ever, Ritsu-kun," he complained, although his hands still move to pour the tea into Ritsu's cup. "You sure haven't changed, still the same helpless boy, hm?" he reached out his hand to pat Ritsu's head, but was quickly swatted away.  
  
Ritsu hissed. "Didn't I told you not to touch me so freely? Ughh..." Just like a cat, Eichi thought.  
  
It's quite refreshing to see him still not changing, to be honest. That way, Eichi would always feel comfortable— feeling like the club is the place where he could rest, just like ever.  
  
He closed his eyes, letting the comfort seep inside him.

\----

_“My name is Tenshouin Eichi. Sounds like an exhilarating name, huh? I would like it for you to call me Eichi.”_

_“Mmm, okay then, Ecchan it is.”_

_“Eh, Ecchan? Please don’t call me as though you’re calling an infant.”_

And here they were again, the garden terrace. It’s the first day the tea club officially held their “club activities”. Though, the biggest problem is, they actually didn’t know what to do in this so-called club, so they just did whatever they do these past few days, chatting leisurely over a cup of tea, telling stories about every single random thing in their own lives.

“Ecchan, Ecchan, did you know?”

Eichi raised his head from glancing down at the cup on his hand, a smile plastered on his face as he faced his clubmate. He had gotten used to the nickname Ritsu gave him—it’s actually pretty cute.

“What is it, Ritsu-kun?”

“You know that I’m a vampire, right? I could turn you into one, too, so let’s be vampire buddies~ you’ll be freed from your stupid illness, too. Then you could pour me tea forever ♪”

“Fufu. You’re not a vampire, but well, being a human still feels nice to me, so I will have to refuse.”

“Eh~ So Ecchan doesn’t believe me~?”

“That’s because Ritsu-kun is a big, biig liar. We already acknowledge that fact the other day, you remember?” Eichi’s smile flashed into a smirk, as if saying that he won. He earned a pout from the other boy in respond, which just made his smirk wider, and it eventually turned into a small burst of laughter.

It got interrupted by a series of cough fits from Eichi that happened right after. The happy and carefree atmosphere changed immediately as Ritsu got up from his seat to approach the sick boy, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Ecchan? You’re pushing yourself again, aren’t you...?” he asked in a worried tone, gently rubbing Eichi’s shoulder. The blond boy shakes his head, exhaling a deep breath that seemed to come out harder than it should have been.

“...I’m okay, it’s fine,” He turned to Ritsu, giving him a reassuring smile. “It’s nothing compared to what I usually experience, so rest easy. I just got a little bit too excited.” He took some more deep breath again to relax, Ritsu’s hand still massaging his shoulder lightly, giving him a sense of comfort.

The look on Ritsu’s face definitely didn’t reflect one of a reassured expression—it’s actually the opposite. The ravenette chose not to say anything in respond to that, though, and slowly walked back to his seat, holding out his empty cup.

“...Pour me another cup, then. Don’t cough again, you’ll ruin the tea.”

The president stayed silent for a while before sighing and smiled again. _Ever so dishonest with how he feels, huh,_ he thought. Though Eichi was never a dense person, so Ritsu’s thought came across pretty clearly—he was indeed worried, but chose to believe Eichi and stayed by his side for a little more time. Eichi grabbed the teapot’s handle and chuckled.

“...Thank you.”

“Nn? You said something, Ecchan?”

The same chuckle. Followed with a gentle shake of his head, Eichi started pouring down the tea into Ritsu’s cup. “I was just thinking about getting the sugar cookies I brought yesterday again, you seemed to really like it. What do you say?”

Seeing Ritsu’s eyes lit up, a smile danced across his lips one more time.

 

 

 

“Your condition has been getting worse, huh?”

A pair of blue eyes widened, not expecting that topic to be brought up in the middle of their casual chatting. They closed eventually, along with his lips that has considerably gone paler.

“So you actually noticed... that’s troubling.”

A huff. “Of course I noticed, Ecchan is an idiot who always push himself too hard for what he wants, after all,” Ritsu crossed his arms, frowning at the blond in front of him. “This club is not your priority, so you don’t need to come if you can’t... It gets troubling when your bodyguards thing start swarming this place to pick you up, you know?”

Eichi sighed. He thought he covered it well, and Ritsu wouldn’t notice it. He thought he managed to convince Ritsu that he’s alright— that he already got proper treatments after he passed out in the club that one time. Well, he knew that this will happen eventually, but he could wish for it to not happen so soon, right? He didn’t want to be forced to stay in the hospital again.

“If I didn’t come, Ritsu-kun will be lonely, though?” He smiled.

“...I’m used to it already,” The vampire replied, averting his eyes to the side.

“But you don’t like it, right?”

Eichi can see a hint of loneliness lost in those ruby irises, as the owner grew silent. “It’ll be lonelier if Ecchan cannot come here anymore, though...”

His voice was barely audible, but Eichi’s ears can still pick up what he’s saying. It feels like an unfamiliar weight hits something inside him—and he can do nothing but shut his lips tightly, staring down at the smaller boy.

“...Sorry.”

“There’s no need for that.”

A pair of red meets blue, staring intently at it. They were gentle, and it brought a familiar breeze of comfort inside Eichi. The same red eyes that belong to someone who accompanied him around a small round table, exchanging silly stories and the most unimportant thing they can tell to each other.

The same red eyes that belong to the person who waits for him to come back from the exhausting war, to chat leisurely over a cup of tea.

Having such a big dream and actually trying to make it come true suffocates Eichi, and it’s hard to manage it all with his already weak body. There’s always Keito who willingly supports him, and Tsumugi too, but it’s still hard to breathe even with them by his side. He’s been dragging that weak body, covered in scars and blood, closer towards his goal. He trampled over countless bodies, earning the same amount of glares and resentment in return. Even the air around him feels heavy, adding discomfort to his body more and more.

Coming here feels like a warm embrace in a cold day, comforting him, making him want to stay as long as possible. A precious, small place that feels just as warm as the tea they drink everytime. Eichi was grateful—he can feel like a normal high school student and have a rose-colored youth despite having such a great responsibility and dream on his shoulders by coming here. Being in this place feels like a utopia where he can breathe freely, as if his illness never existed in the first place. Well, he still feels sick, but it’s secondary compared to the delight he got in return.

Here, he’s not “a Tenshouin heir” nor “the tyrant emperor”, he’s just “Eichi”. Or well, “Ecchan”.

He stayed silent, and unconsciously, his fingers wrapped around Ritsu’s, intertwining them together. The other boy raised an eyebrow at the sudden act, but didn’t shove it away like he normally would.

_Ah, how warm._

He squeezed Ritsu’s hand, eyes fluttering close.

There’s a twinge inside his heart that he can’t recognize, but it’s comforting. It’s warm, like the hand between his fingers.

“Ecchan, you’re being weird.”

Eichi just hummed quietly in respond. “I wonder...”

 “I guess I made a mistake by bringing up about your health, huh?”  Ritsu rested his head on the table, his voice was barely above a whisper. Eichi responded with a shake of his head, smiling gently.

“Ritsu-kun. You can’t just freely say that coming here isn’t a part of my priorities, you know?” He paused, watching Ritsu raised an eyebrow. “Even emperors need their break every so often. Don’t even try to stop me from coming here, drinking tea and chatting with a wannabe vampire is more fun than being stuck in a hospital room, after all.”

Ritsu pouted, his cheeks puffed. “Meanie. How dare you call me that~ you’re really stubborn, too. Ecchan sucks.” He sticked out his tongue, followed by a small laugh from Eichi. “Really? If I sucked, I wonder why you can keep up and accompany me for every of our club meetings.”

“It’s just a pain to pour tea by myself, that’s all.” He lifted his head from the table. “You always pour one for me even without me asking after all. You’ll make a good servant~”

Ritsu grinned, and Eichi sighed. The president chose to not answer, because Ritsu would probably become more annoying if he did. He noticed their hands—fingers still intertwined, but didn’t let go. Instead, he gripped it tighter, letting the warmth seep in.

“You don’t mind this, right?” He asked, lifting their hands a bit.

Ritsu just stared. “Nn, I usually don’t like it, but I guess I’ll let it slide. Just for now.”

Eichi smiled.

_“I’m saying this as a revenge for being hit, but as of now, you aren’t worthy of being loved.”_

Oh, how would he like to laugh at himself for saying that back then.

This warm hand is worth more than any love he could have now.

 

\-----

 

“Say, Ritsu-kun,”

The questioned boy hummed, lifting his eyes from his teacup. Still the same red eyes, the same face, the same Ritsu. Eichi’s lips curled up—the thought of everything being the same as ever reassured him.

“I’m just wondering, after all those things I said in Checkmate,” he paused to take a sip of his tea. “Why did you decide to forgive me?”

Ritsu blinked a few times. “And you’re asking me that _now_? Ecchan, that happened last year.” The boy crossed his arms. “Not like I actually forgive you. You’re still annoying because of that. Just kidding~ ♪”

_Yeah, whatever,_ Eichi rolled his eyes.

“But well, nnn... I did entertain you for a while so I can use you for my own personal reasons, and then it just kinda fade away. I don’t really understand why, too.” He averted his eyes. “And, uh... I guess you’re pretty fun to be with, so I don’t mind your company.”

A simple reason, just like Eichi thought. Well, he’s thankful that the reason is nothing he can’t expect. “I see...” he muttered, taking another sip of his tea.

“I thought you only stayed with me because I poured tea for you?”

“Ugh, don’t make me start... Ecchan, you’re reeeally annoying.”

Eichi chuckled, then another calming silence wrapped around them. The air is still cold, so Eichi got up and took a blanket from his bag—Keito would nag him if he started getting cold, so he’s been carrying it with him for a while now. He went back to his seat, and an idea popped in his head as Ritsu broke the silence between them with a yawn.

“Hey, Ritsu-kun,” He called out, grabbing his clubmate’s attention. “Are you still sleepy? I’ll offer you my lap ♪”

“Wha...? As I thought, Ecchan is being weird today...” Ritsu’s face folded. Eichi laughed softly in response, “Come on, I have a blanket for you too. It’s way better than sleeping on the floor or the table, right?” He patted his lap lightly, offering for Ritsu to put his head on top of it.

Ritsu frowned, but ended up sleeping on his lap anyway. After he laid down his head on Eichi’s lap, Eichi wrapped his body with the blanket, smiling gently.

“Nn, not bad. You better not move too much, though. I’ll kill you if you do.” Ritsu muttered, shifting his head to a more comfortable position.

“I’d like to see you try.” Eichi replied, moving his hand to stroke Ritsu’s hair, earning a small groan from the boy. He didn’t swat his hand away, though.

Soft black strands danced around his fingers as he gently stroke the smaller boy’s head. Not long after that, he fell asleep—soft snores could be heard from him. He looked like he’s really in peace, and just by seeing his peaceful expression brought a smile to Eichi’s face.

Eichi rested his head on the chair’s back. The tea club is still as peaceful as he remembered, and he can breathe easily like always. It’s as comfortable and warm as ever, despite the cold weather.

And Ritsu’s still on his side, like always.

Eichi slowly felt himself slipping into the dream world as the time goes by, and proceeds to follow Ritsu into sleep.

 

\----

 

The petite boy walked quickly along the halls, led by a thought that maybe if he’s fast enough, his senpais will still be in the clubroom. He felt guilty to skip club activities without even meeting the club president, so even if it’s just for a while, he still want to participate.

_A little more, two doors to the left, and—_

“I-I’m sorry I’m late, Eichi-onii—huh?”

As Hajime peeked inside the room, his senpais were indeed still there—sleeping soundly on a chair. He couldn’t see Ritsu at first, but when he walked in further, he could see that Ritsu was sleeping on Eichi’s lap, Eichi’s hand on top of his head.

A pair of lavender eyes blinked a few times. _This is quite the rare sight_ , he thought. But seeing both of his senpais sleeping so soundly made him smile. He walked closer and pulled Ritsu’s blanket up until it covered his body up to his shoulders, then he gently moved a strand of hair that covered Eichi’s eye, careful not to let the older boy wakes up.

Feeling satisfied with what he did, he brewed a tea for himself, and maybe for his senpais later when they wake up. When finished, he took a seat across both of them and poured the tea into his cup, smiling. He probably should wake them up soon, but they looked really peaceful and Hajime can’t bring himself to do so. Besides, looking at them warms him up inside.

He glanced outside the window.

The sun sets down, signaling the end of the afternoon, wrapping the club in warm colors.

 

\----

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! do leave a comment if you enjoyed it c:


End file.
